


Remember the 10th

by doliumpraedonum



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 19:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5882092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doliumpraedonum/pseuds/doliumpraedonum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's October 10th, and Sasuke can't help but feel that he's forgotten something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remember the 10th

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while back for Naruto's birthday, some plotless college fun.

Friday, October tenth.

"WAKE UP, BASTARD. WAKE UP, BASTARD. WAKE UP-"

Sasuke fumbled through his blankets, irritation growing with every waking second. Finally his fingers touched the screaming phone and silenced the alarm.

He closed his eyes and leaned back onto the pillows, trying to recall evasive dreams. It happened every time he used the alarm Naruto had made him as a joke; he was ripped from his sleep so quickly he never remembered what he had been dreaming. He gave up his efforts and stretched, back cracking loudly in the quiet of the empty dorm. At least he was awake.

Yawning, Sasuke reached for his phone again. 6:30am, Friday, October 10th, 2014. His eyes narrowed, feeling like he was forgetting something. He pulled down the October schedule and double checked that today's class wouldn’t start till 8:15. He rubbed his hands along his tired face and slowly slid from the bed, trying to shrug off the nagging feeling.

Sasuke pulled on a pair of sweatpants, donned his running shoes, and zipped a hoodie around himself before making his way out of the room. He trudged down several flights of stairs, through the empty lobby and into the chilly fall morning.

After starting at the university two years ago, it hadn’t take long for Sasuke to find the only time he could enjoy running was early. There was a special kind of quiet about the campus that existed at no other time, and especially silent as the winter term drew closer. When he had tried going any time after the first classes had started, his morning jog would become nothing more than chaotic bouncing between desperately lost freshmen and hungover, coffee wielding students too involved in their cell phones to pay attention to where they’re walking.

But early in the morning he could run in peace, his only companions the crows digging worms and crumbs from the earth of the gardens and the fog that rose and drifted slowly from the football field. Occasionally another figure would pass through his line of vision, another independent runner: He’d come to learn the college teams couldn’t be bothered to get moving before seven. He filled his lungs with the crisp air and pressed on.

\--

By 7:30, Sasuke was back in his dorm room, drying his hair from the shower. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that he had forgotten something important. Nevertheless, he dressed once again, grabbed his bag for organic chem and headed out the door. As he was walking through the lobby, someone caught his eye and waved him over.

“Good morning Sasuke,” Itachi greeted from behind the help counter.

“Morning, Itachi. How was your week?”

Itachi smiled at him. “Largely uneventful. I worked the night shift for Kisame on Wednesday; the resident in 24 forgot his keys again and 30 came stumbling in past midnight.”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. “Naruto?”

“Thats right, on the floor below you. Made a friend, have you?”

He shrugged, attempting to act casually. “We’ve had classes together.”

Itachi smirked. “Is that so?”

Sasuke glared and moved to leave. “I’m going now.”

“Before you go,” Itachi took a neat gray box out from somewhere behind the desk and slid it toward Sasuke. “Naruto dropped this on his way in, I haven’t had the chance to return it to him. Since you know who he is, would you make sure he gets it for me?”

Sasuke didn’t like the way his older brother was looking at him, but couldn’t find a justifiable reason not to comply. He picked it up. It was suspiciously clean for something belonging to Naruto. He have it a light shake and the top rattled loosely. “Do you have something to hold it together with? I don’t want it to open in my bag.”

“I’m sure I’ve got something back here for it.”

Sasuke handed back the box and Itachi produced a thick bit of orange ribbon. He grimaced at the hideous shade.

Itachi looked up and paused in tying the package together. “What? Think he’ll have a problem with it?”

“No. He’ll like it. Its obnoxious, like he is.”

Itachi looked amused, but didn’t comment. He finished the ribbon in a small, perfect bow and handed it back to Sasuke.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Itachi just smiled. “Its a nice day, today. Isn’t it?”

“Could you get any weirder?” Sasuke stuffed the box into his backpack and shook his head at his brother. “I’m going to class now.”

\--

At a quarter to eleven, Sasuke was leaving a particularly difficult lab. He had all but forgotten about the box till he brushed against it with his textbook. He wondered what was in it.

“Hey Sasuke.”

Sasuke looked up at the pink-haired girl crossing the room toward him. She hadn’t had a chance to speak to him during the period; she had been partnered with a very enthusiastic and talkative Lee.

“Sakura,” He nodded at her. He shouldered his bag and they left the classroom together.

“I’m doing great, thanks for asking, Sasuke, you’re always so good about that. And I did in fact cut my hair.” She said sarcastically, flicking her hair back.

He smirked despite himself.

In their first year, Sakura had pursued him quite aggressively. But after repeated rejection and the discovery of his preferences, she settled with friendship. She could actually be pretty funny when she wanted to be, and wasn’t bad library company. And he had introduced him to Naruto. Speaking of..

“So, have you seen Naruto today?” Sakura asked him.

He frowned. “No, I haven’t, have you?”

Sakura got a gleam in her eye that made Sasuke feel suddenly very uncomfortable. She gushed, “No-why-do-you-ask?”

He continued, pretending he wasn’t unnerved. “I’ve got something for-”

She stopped dead in her tracks and shouted, “I knew it!”

He almost jumped at her outburst. Almost. But he did stop beside her.

“You knew what?” He asked accusingly.

Sakura leered at him. “I knew it! He didn’t think you would, but I knew it!”

He rolled his eyes at her and swatted away the finger she was poking into his chest. “Will you stop that? Who are you talking about?”

She grinned at him maniacally. “Oh, nothing. I wasn't even supposed to say anything, right?” She looked over her shoulder and caught sight of Ino, waving. “Ok good luck with that Sasuke see you later.”

She left him in an uncharacteristically confused stupor, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

‘Insane.’ He thought to himself. ‘I am surrounded by people that are insane.’

It did get him thinking though, as he headed to his lunch. He grabbed a burrito and ate at a booth, hoping to run into Naruto. Sasuke waited there for his entire break, but Naruto didn’t appear. As he shoved his tray into the bus tub he tried to ignore the building frustration that he not only forgot Naruto’s fall schedule, but he didn’t ask Sakura when he had had the opportunity. Angrily, he whipped out his phone, glaring down at the date.

October 10th.

What was he forgetting?

Sasuke stuffed the phone back into his pocket and stormed off to psychology.

When he entered the building, it was stuffy as usual. This particular building seemed to be humid no matter what the temperature was outside, and unfortunately because of the October chill no windows were opened as he took his seat. He had a good time to brood before the professor arrived, late as usual, and began the lesson.

When it finally concluded, Sasuke’s mood was none the better. He left the classroom with a huff, and almost collided with a familiar blonde shock of hair.

“Man, if looks could kill!” He laughed as Sasuke straightened. “Whats got you so pissed off today?”

Sasuke’s glare intensified. “I’m not pissed off. Where’ve you been?”

Naruto shrugged. “Playin around. Whats up?”

He smirked. “Fulfilling your goals of being a dead last forever, huh?”

“Ah, Sasuke, I’m in such a good mood, not even your bitchiness can bring me down today.”

“Whatever. Lets get out of here.”

Sasuke felt considerably better once they had left the muggy building. He stepped out of the flood students exiting the building onto a side path, Naruto following him.

Sasuke shrugged his backpack off and reached a hand inside. “I’ve got something for you.”

His eyes seemed to light up. “You do? What is it?” There was excitement in his voice.

“See for yourself,” Sasuke told him as he handed Naruto the gray box.

“I can’t believe you remembered, Sasuke,” Naruto said as he pulled off the ribbon.

Sasuke was utterly in the dark. He was about to ask Naruto just what the hell he was talking about when he opened the box and suddenly Sasuke realized.

October 10th.

Naruto’s birthday.

“What! I didn’t think this was out yet!” Naruto bellowed at his new copy of a video game Sasuke only recognized by name.

“It’s not.”

A small note came fluttering out of the box. Sasuke plucked it off the ground and read, “To Naruto from Sasuke.” He didn’t know whether to murder his brother or thank him.

He pocketed the note and turned his attention back to Naruto, who looked like Christmas had come early.

“Thanks, Sasuke. I didn’t think birthdays would be your thing, but..wow!” He gestured to the game.

Sasuke smiled, and Naruto wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed as they walked back toward the dorms.

Naruto poked his chest and said, “You’re a big softie.”

Sasuke scoffed. Figuring that by now their secret was out, Sasuke his hand into Naruto's back pocket and whispered, "I don’t remember there being anything soft about it."

Naruto gave a surprised laugh and said in a low voice, "I thought you were trying to keep this quiet."

"Somehow, I think the cats out of the bag. Want to get drinks?"

"What’s it gonna cost me?"

Sasuke squeezed Naruto’s cheek. “I’ll think of something.”


End file.
